Set on the sidelines of the APEC Summit, US President Barack Obama's visit 'showcases US maritime security assistance to the Philippines and the region'
VISITING PHILIPPINES. US President Barack Obama is set to visit a coastal facility in the Philippines on the sidelines of the APEC Summit. Photo by Andrew Harrer/Pool/EPA
US President Barack Obama is set to visit a coastal facility in the Philippines as the Southeast Asian country faces a dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama is “going to a coastal facility in the Philippines to showcase our maritime cooperation with the Philippines.”
This trip is scheduled on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (APEC) in Manila.
To attend the summit, Obama is visiting the Philippines from Tuesday, November 17, to Friday, November 20.
Philippine government sources told Rappler that Obama is planning to visit a US frigate in the Philippines, likely in Subic.
Rhodes, also assistant to the US president, said Obama’s outdoor event on Tuesday “showcases US maritime security assistance to the Philippines and the region.”
For 'peaceful resolution of disputes'
“And clearly, in our alliance with the Philippines and our focus in the region, we have been committed to maritime security, to principles like freedom of navigation, and to the peaceful resolution of disputes. And, again, this event will be an opportunity for the President to showcase some of that maritime security assistance,” Rhodes said.
Obama’s visit comes as the Philippines and China remain locked in a dispute over the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines and China, however, both said the sea dispute should be downplayed during the mainly economic APEC Summit.
On the sidelines of the APEC Summit, Obama and 11 other world leaders will also meet to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a landmark deal creating the world’s largest free trade area.
Founded in 1989, APEC is the highest-level, most influential forum in the Asia-Pacific.
By hosting APEC, the Philippines aims to showcase its booming economy, even as critics slam the P9.8-billion ($208-million) price tag of this regional summit.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.